Recreational trail impacts on the plant communities of Castle and Castle Wildland Provincial Parks in southern Alberta

dc.contributor.authorChisholm, Trinitas
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorMcCune, Jenny L.
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-17T21:42:24Z
dc.date.available2023-01-17T21:42:24Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractI measured the effect of recreational trails on plant species richness, community composition, and the presence of exotic and rare species in the Castle Provincial Parks of Alberta, Canada, by surveying 142 transects adjacent to or far from trails. I also characterized the habitat of species from the rare genus Botrychium Swartz and tested a species distribution model (SDM) to identify suitable Botrychium habitat. Plant communities near trails had higher species richness, shifts in composition, and greater occurrence of exotic plant species. These effects extended farther from off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails than from footpaths, but only in mixed/broadleaf and shrubland vegetation. The SDM was not a strong predictor of Botrychium presence, but I found Botrychium in 29% of surveyed sites. To minimize trail effects such as colonization by exotic species, managers should prioritize closing trails to OHVs or limiting OHV traffic, particularly in mixed/broadleaf and shrubland vegetation.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipAlberta Conservation Association, Alberta Environment and Parksen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/6407
dc.language.isoen_CAen_US
dc.proquest.subject0329en_US
dc.proquest.subject0408en_US
dc.proquest.subject0309en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Scienceen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectRecreational trailsen_US
dc.subjectPlant species richness
dc.subjectTrail effects
dc.subjectSpecial distribution model
dc.subjectCastle Provincial Parks
dc.subject.lcshTrails--Alberta
dc.subject.lcshPlant communities--Alberta
dc.subject.lcshBotrychium
dc.subject.lcshEndemic plants--Alberta
dc.subject.lcshBiogeography--Alberta
dc.subject.lcshCastle River (Alta.)
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic
dc.titleRecreational trail impacts on the plant communities of Castle and Castle Wildland Provincial Parks in southern Albertaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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